Cabinet Makers and Furniture Designers - Hardcover

This is the first in a series of three books on great craftsmen by Hugh Honour. It is made up of 50 absorbing studies of outstanding makers and designers of furniture, from the 16the century to the present day, and a quick glance at the contents page will reveal a gallery of highly illustrious names, including such leading figures as Chippendale, Sheraton, Boulle, Piranesi and Le Corbusier. The author aims not only to describe these men's ideas and the work in which they were expressed, but also to shed some light on their personalities, their lives, and their careers. He highlights the historical and artistic influences which have shaped the design of furniture through the centuries, and draws attention to the relationships that have existed in different periods and in different places between craftsmen, designers and workshops. He has selected French, English, American, Dutch, German and Scandinavian craftsmen, and demonstrates the wide range of people, from widely differing walks of life, who have contributed to the development of furniture design. The text is accompanied by photographs of some of the most outstanding pieces by the makers and designers in the book as well as by contemporary engravings and original drawings. 32 pages of colour illustrations 230 black and white illustrations